platform/seed/skills/google-mail-api

Google Mail API Skill

Complete documentation for the Gmail API with support for both Python and Node.js/TypeScript.

Files

• SKILL.md - Python implementation with google-api-python-client
• SKILL-nodejs.md - Node.js/TypeScript implementation with googleapis
• README.md - This file

Quick Comparison

Feature	Python	Node.js/TypeScript
Installation	pip install google-api-python-client	npm install googleapis google-auth-library
Authentication	OAuth 2.0 with token caching	OAuth 2.0 with token caching
Type Safety	Dynamic typing	Full TypeScript support
Performance	Slower	Faster, async/await native
Use Cases	Scripts, automation, legacy	Modern web, backends, real-time
Dependencies	google-api-python-client, google-auth-oauthlib	googleapis, google-auth-library
Maintenance	✅ Maintained	✅ Actively maintained

Which Should I Use?

Choose Python if:

• You're already in a Python environment (Jupyter, scripts)
• You're doing data analysis with pandas
• You prefer simpler blocking APIs
• You need to integrate with existing Python tools

Choose Node.js/TypeScript if:

• You're building a web service or API
• You want async/await and promises
• You need type safety (TypeScript)
• You're already using Node.js
• You need better performance
• You want to build real-time features

Core Differences

Authentication

Python:

service = authenticate()  # Returns service object

Node.js/TypeScript:

const auth = await authenticate();  // Returns OAuth2Client
const gmail = google.gmail({ version: "v1", auth });

Making API Calls

Python:

results = service.users().messages().list(userId="me").execute()

Node.js/TypeScript:

const results = await gmail.users.messages.list({ userId: "me" });

Handling Responses

Python:

messages = results.get("messages", [])

Node.js/TypeScript:

const messages = results.data.messages || [];

Common Tasks

All recipes are available in both:

• SKILL.md (Python versions)
• SKILL-nodejs.md (Node.js/TypeScript versions)

Available Recipes

1. ✅ List Labels
2. ✅ List Messages in Inbox
3. ✅ Get Full Message
4. ✅ Send a Message
5. ✅ Send Email with Attachment
6. ✅ Create Draft
7. ✅ Apply Label to Message
8. ✅ List Threads
9. ✅ Get Thread Messages in Order
10. ✅ Search Messages
11. ✅ Create Custom Label
12. ✅ Modify Thread Labels
13. ✅ Move Message to Trash
14. ✅ Delete Message Permanently
15. ✅ Batch Modify Messages
16. ✅ Get User Profile

Authentication Setup (Both Languages)

1. Create Google Cloud Project

• Go to Google Cloud Console
• Create new project
• Enable Gmail API
• Create OAuth 2.0 credentials (Desktop Application)
• Download credentials file as credentials.json

2. Set Scopes

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.send
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly

3. First Run

Both implementations will prompt you to authorize via your browser and save a token for future use.

Helper Classes/Utilities

Node.js: GmailHelper Class

Already provided in SKILL-nodejs.md. Wraps common operations:

const helper = new GmailHelper(auth);
await helper.sendMessage(to, subject, body);
await helper.applyLabel(messageId, labelName);
await helper.listInboxMessages(10);

Python: Create Your Own

Consider wrapping the service in a class for easier reuse:

class GmailHelper:
    def __init__(self, service):
        self.service = service
    
    def send_message(self, to, subject, body):
        # ... implementation

Rate Limiting & Best Practices

Both implementations should respect:

• Quota: 250 requests per second per user
• Batch operations: Use batchModify() and batchDelete() for multiple messages
• Pagination: Use pageToken for large result sets
• Caching: Cache label IDs and user profiles

Error Handling

Python

from googleapiclient.errors import HttpError

try:
    result = service.users().messages().get(...).execute()
except HttpError as error:
    print(f"Error: {error}")

Node.js/TypeScript

try {
  const result = await gmail.users.messages.get(...);
} catch (error: any) {
  console.error(`Error ${error.response.status}: ${error.message}`);
}

Resources

• Official Gmail API Docs
• API Reference
• Python Client
• Node.js Client
• OAuth 2.0 Setup

Tips & Tricks

1. Caching Labels: Call list() once and cache label IDs to avoid repeated API calls
2. Batch Operations: Group message operations into batch calls
3. Full vs Metadata Format: Use format="metadata" when you only need headers
4. Thread vs Messages: Use threads for conversation view, messages for individual emails
5. Custom Queries: Learn Gmail search syntax for powerful q parameter usage

Examples

Python: Send Email Script

python examples/send_email.py --to recipient@example.com --subject "Hello"

Node.js: Create TypeScript Utility

npx ts-node src/gmail-utility.ts

Both implementations provide all the tools needed to build production Gmail automation!